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Paula Broadwell takes media spotlight

Paula Broadwell discusses her time with Gen. Petraeus while researching her book | Daily Show

She graduated from West Point, where she received “academic, fitness, and leadership honors,” according to her Penguin Speakers Bureau biography, and also holds a degree from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Her speaker’s biography also indicates that she is a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of War Studies at King’s College London.

“She met Petraeus in 2006 when he spoke at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, where she was a graduate student,” The Charlotte Observer reported in January. “When she told him about her research interests, he handed her his card and offered his help. ‘He really cares about mentoring,’ she says. Later, with his cooperation, she began a doctoral dissertation that included a case study of his leadership.”

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The Observer interviewed her “in her living room while her sons, ages 4 and 6, played nearby. She credits her husband, mother and other family members, along with friends and neighbors, for providing the child care that allowed her time away to do research,” the report said.

In another interview with Harvard’s Center for Public Leadership — where she was a research associate — she referenced Petraeus’s commitment to answering “every email personally.”

“Finally, and perhaps most important, I was struck by what I’ll call his ‘extreme mentoring,’” she told the center. “He answers every email personally, and he is always writing long letters of recommendation for those who has proven themselves to him. I think he gets energy from doing this, but it’s still amazing to see the amount of time he invests in this activity.”

Just last week, Broadwell wrote a column for Newsweek, in which she summed up Petraeus’s “rules for living.”

“We all will make mistakes,” read rule no. 5, on a list of 12 rules. “The key is to recognize them and admit them, to learn from them, and to take off the rear­ view mirrors—drive on and avoid making them again.”.

Petraeus, 60, met his wife Holly while at school at West Point, The AP reported. She was the daughter of the school’s superintendent. The couple, married for 38 years, has two children, one of whom has served in Afghanistan as an infantry platoon leader. Holly Petraeus, an advocate for military families, joined the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to work on related issues.

When the story broke Friday afternoon, reports noted that when an individual who works in intelligence has an affair, concerns over blackmail and the possibility of leaked national security information emerge. But Mark Zaid, a D.C. lawyer who works with the intelligence community, told POLITICO that extramarital affairs are nothing new in that world.

“No offense to any of my CIA colleagues or friends, and this is a very generalized statement, but in my nearly 20 years of handling CIA cases, quite frankly, this is a way of life out there,” he said.

Readers' Comments (32)

Appropriately named after Madeleine Albright's father . Madeleine Albright being the first Woman Secretary of State . Appointed by none other than good Ole Billy Boy .

Now all you Liberal Dim witt's repeat after me . " One World Goverment ! " Or if you like I can simplify it ! U.N. Commie operative ! From no where else but the good ole Liberal State of Colorado !

Hey wanna hear a Co -winky Dink ? Hillary is secretary of State ? Now I wonder if there's any connection's in all of this ? Ya Think ? I love playing link the Dot's . It draw's some of the most interesting of picture's !

The first comment is the reason that the GOP has a good chance of going the way of the typewriter. This commenter represents a large part of the GOP base.... ignoant, undereducated, bigoted, heartless and soulless.

Wow! Yer way ahead of me! I followed the dots, as you suggested, but I'm still working on who REALLY murdered Julius Caesar. The dots so far are all pointing to the Chinese Communist Party of the time. And now look at China!!

As they say in the hood....." once a ho always a ho " ! Another role model for young American girls. If your gonna do the nasty with somebody who's married. Make sure you get "paid" for it one way or another. Wonder how long before Paula Broadwell is going to be on the receiving end of the " money shot " with Peter North in a video ?

I remember seeing that edition of The Daily Show and thought her dress/top was highly inappropriate: she presented herself as overtly sexual, and I'm not really surprised that she's the "other woman" here. She put it all on display on Jon's show. She's not quite as smart as she thought.

you are the total azz hole, you are caught like Htler cought his stupid bunch of adorers. You are the fool that can be used to think you are doing good, while he destroys the land. I hope you starve to death when the money is gone that he stole from people that are doing the work for you.

Unreal man.. Obie sends his condolences to Petraeus family. LOLOL.... I wonder if old sensitive, wonder boy managed to pull out a few fake tears on this one. Another day, another con job. I was shocked when I read about Ps resignation.... like since when did the govt start giving a rats ass about affairs?? LOLOL Good old Obama administration playing the public for what it actually is--- Nuttin but a ship of fool---

Sure is interesting how this was all hushed up during the campaign but comes out now. I love how these stories break and everybody in the mainstream media acts so surprised. Shocked even. "Who knew? I didn't did you? No, I didn't did you? Maybe Bob knew. Let's ask Bob. Did you know? No. I didn't did you" What else does the media know that they're not telling us? A lot. That would make a great reality show. Grab of of the big-name reporters and strap 'em in a chair and shoot 'em full of truth serum. Have them spill their guts in front of the cameras. Find out who they're protecting. I bet we only get about 5% of what the average journo-list knows. Everything else is "off the record" or "on background". It's like the Mafia's code of "omerta". Journalistic omerta. Now is their any wonder that the reputation of people like Candy Crowley and Chris Matthews is lower than fossilized whale dung? Idiots.

You are exacto-mundo right on, Kimberly #9. I was going to say it, but I didn't want to come off as a sexist swine and get myself banned from Politico for life. Cute young-ish dame writes a bio of a powerful warlord and advertises her book and her physical assets at the same time. There's two great big dots a blind man could connect. Plus the Freudian alliteration of the title. "All In". It's the same thing as Biden telling a group of women in an audience he was going to give them his "whole load". But yeah, Broadwell was dressed inappropriately if she wants to be taken as a serious author.

Wasn't Broadwell involved at the good ole Dem convention too? The NYTimes is reporting the FBI talked to Petraeus 2 weeks ago before the election about his issue..Our General waits 2 weeks to resign? lol...... after the election but before the hearings.

In the Jon Stewart interview last Jan. Broadwell was definately certain Petraeus was not going to run for POTUS. We now know why.

What's amazing is that the GOP hasn't jumped all over this at all and never knew about it. Hoodwinked by the Chicago machine.

Wonder what goodies Broadwell is pushing for? A John Edwards kiss and tell book or does she have other info?

I find it interesting that the FBI was investigating this while Petraeus was The General in Afghanistan, but raised no questions, or objections a few months later when President Obama nominated Petraeus to be director of the CIA. This Biographer (Paula Broadwell ) who is working on her PHD at Harvard also graduated from West Point, servered in the Air Force for 15 years and is a Major in The Air Force Reseves, works on and off for FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces, (as well as she has She has served with the U.S. intelligence community, U.S. Special Operations Command) and was given the Security clearance to read Petraeus's emails by the military and the FBI so she could give an accurate autobiography. If not, then why is she not being court martialed?

On Novenber 1st 2012 she gave a lecture at the University of Denver (It can be viewed at youtube), where she earned her MA while she also working for the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces. She answers a question towards the end of the lecture (34:41 minute mark of video) about Benghazzi and mentions of two insurgents that were being held at the Benghazzi annex by the CIA. This was never mentioned before, I believe she leaked classified information that she had to have received recently.

My conclusion from just a little research is either the military, CIA & FBI are completely incompetent, or there is a little more to this story then just an affair.

Forget about the extra-marital affairs. What' s troubling is her trying to get access to his e-mail account without proper clearance. That's not appropriate for the head of the CIA. Had Petraues been a general in the army, he wouldn't have lost his job over an affair but directior of the CIA is a different game.

Re-read the story, The period of time of the emails and the affair in question is when Petreaus was commanding general of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, months before he became director of the CIA.

OK, so she was 39 facing 40 and always reaching up and wanting to be the best but looking at 40 without much fame and fortune to show for all her achievements...she attached herself to a 60 year old man who had achieved fame and decided to go for it the old-fashioned way. It was a power trip for her and she apparently used him and he fell hook, line and sinker (to the detriment of his honor and his career) It's the oldest story in the book(Bible) and starts with Adam and Eve and yet men and women never learn from it.. Say good-bye to pride and honor both of you and grieve over the destruction of your families. So truly sad and unnecessary..